3D Displays _#

More from Urban Screens (a site dedicated to large displays in urban spaces - added to my aggregator today) - this time, it's about 3D and almost-holographic displays. There seem to be two major competitors in this apparantly growing, and certainly interesting commercial sector.

IO2 Technology have developed a projector system that renders images in 'thin air'. It's not true 3D - the projection itself is 2D, but the effect looks interesting nonetheless. Depending on exactly how they're doing that projection (I have a few unqualified ideas) perhaps projecting several 2D layers will give a true 3D effect?

Fogscreen is another option (perhaps working in a similar way - IO2 are quite vague). Here the image is projected onto a screen of "dry fog" - 100% water apparantly (if somebody knows how that isn't a contradiction let me know). The system creates a screen of 1.5m by 2m - roughly 2.5metres diagonal, if my in-head Pythagoras is correct. Fogscreen can also become interactive, should you want. Fogscreen is supposed to be 'free from turbulence', but the video [WMV] on their site shows there might be some - particularly if you insist on waving your hand through the fog!